Teaching toilet training and bladder control requires patience from you and your child. Most children have the required physical and mental skills to begin potty training between 18 and 24 months, according to BabyCenter. However, each child is different and some children will not be ready until 3 or 4 years of age.
Readiness Signals
When your child can keep his diaper dry for at least three hours, has predictable bowl movements and can run to the potty on his own and then pull down his own pants, he is showing the physical signs of readiness. He has the mental skills when he: shows interest in using the toilet, gives a physical or verbal sign when he has a bowl movement, understands your words for urine and stool, and follows simple instructions.
Training Time Frame
Most children conquer toilet training in four stages, controlling: stools at night, stools during the day, urine during the day and urine at night. Your child will learn to control her stools before her bladder because the muscles surrounding the bowel are less sensitive than the muscles surrounding the bladder. When you daughter needs to urinate, she has less time to react and get to the toilet in time. Daytime bladder control usually occurs within six months, but nighttime bladder control may take years.
Training Practices
Consistency is a key aspect of toilet training. Share your toilet training routine with all of your child's caregivers. In the beginning, encourage your child to use his potty every two hours. Set an alarm clock to keep your child on schedule and always praise him for trying and never punish accidents. Give your child training pants or regular underwear after several weeks without accidents. If you or your child become frustrated with the process, take a break and try again in a few weeks.
Daytime Bladder Control Problems
Aside from the occasional accident, your child should be in control of her bladder by 4 years of age. If your child begins having frequent accidents, contact her doctor to check for an underlying condition, such as urinary tract infection, kidney problem, diabetes or an overactive bladder, recommends the Mayo Clinic. Signs of a urinary tract infection include a persistent fever with an unknown cause, painful, frequent, cloudy or foul-smelling urine, and abdominal and lower back pain.
Nighttime Bladder Control Problems
Your child may control her bladder during the day, but wet the bed at night--this is known as nocturnal enuresis. If your child has never had a dry night in a six-month period, she has primary nocturnal enuresis. According to Dr. Alan Greene, a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, there are three possible causes for primary nocturnal enuresis: Your child has an imbalance of the bladder muscles, she has a bladder that is too small to hold the normal amount of urine, or she is producing more urine than the average size bladder can hold.
If she begins wetting the bed after a six-month dry period, she has secondary nocturnal enuresis, which is caused by psychological stresses or a physical problem, such as a urinary tract infection or diabetes. Look for and address causes of psychological stresses and contact your doctor if the bed-wetting continues.
